


Off to the races

by mymaddiary



Series: We own the night [1]
Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-07-28
Updated: 2014-08-14
Packaged: 2017-12-21 15:48:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 17,363
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/902062
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mymaddiary/pseuds/mymaddiary
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Growing up is a difficult task for highborn and lowborn boys and girls, lots of parties, drinks, family issues, love, sex and of course the studies and decisions for the future. How to survive to all this?</p>
<p>p.s: the plot happens in a modern Westeros btw</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Everyone

**Author's Note:**

> My first attempt to write a gendya fanfic.  
> This work is suppose to have 7 chapters, however, I'm thinking to write a series with 2 parts maybe...not sure yet.  
> The story is going to have five chapter with only one's character POV, the characters that are going to have POV chapters are Gendry, Sansa, Arya, Margeary and Joffrey. The other two chapters left are going to focus on everyone.  
> I'm a big Gendrya shipper. So, of course the romantic relationship that Im going to focus a lot is going to be Gendry and Arya, but to develop the plot that I originally planned I'll have to write about other's characters romantic relationship and drama lol  
> If you don't like to read anything besides gendrya I strongly advice you to not read this work.

 

**Chapter 1**

**Everyone**

The music was too loud and the place too crowded of teenagers dressed in colorful clothes with drinks in hand dancing to the beat of some song. Arya was slim, short and merely sixteen but had no trouble in entering the club even if her fake ID was saying she was 23. The securities weren't interested in the girls age like the others nightclubs around the town specially because she was accompanied by Sansa and Margaery, two beauty queens who have never found problems in entering pubs and clubs when they were on their high heels and tight skirts, even if they were only seventeen. Arya herself was wearing a black tight skirt like the two of them, too tight and short for her liking but Sansa told her it was the current fashion on the streets and later she accepted the fact that she looked good in it. Her white tank top was baggy which made it possible to see her black bra on its sides. On her feet however no heels. She chose a black pair of sneakers.

"Are you sure you want to be here?" Sansa almost screamed to make herself audible. The shade of worrying crossed her face while staring at Arya.

"Yes." She answered in a low tone. Sansa looked at her in disbelief and before she could say anything Arya cut her off. "I said I'm fine, didn't I? So go on and find your friends, I'll look for my friends too." This time she put her best to smile at her sister and make sure everything was alright with her.

Sansa looked at Margaery who was oblivious to the two girls and paying attention to the dance floor looking for someone. Sansa sighed and looked back at her sister keeping the worrying face.

"Seriously. I'm fine Sansa." Arya said trying to keep her smile as natural as she could. Sansa opened the mouth to protest against Arya's words but this time was Margaery who cut her off. The brown haired girl made a funny noise and grabbed Sansa's arms while pointing to a direction. Arya only listened the name 'Joffrey' over the music and rolled her eyes when her sister's face lighted up when she spotted the blond hair in the middle of the crowd. Then she turned to face Arya again. Arya could feel that Sansa was hesitating in going to her boyfriend so she made things easier for her. Opening a smile again and trying to keep a positive tone in her voice. "Go to him. I'll be fine." This time Sansa obeyed and dragged Margaery by her hand while passing through the crowd.

Arya watched they disappear from her sight thinking how her sister liked a guy like Joffrey, he was a prick for sure. With a sigh she turned her head to look over the place wondering for a second if being there was a good idea. She ran her grey eyes trough the place checking if she recognized anyone .There was a bar on the left side of the place which was full of teenagers trying to get another drink and enjoy their lasts days of high school vacations. She saw some familiar faces targeting her with curious eyes probably startled to see her in a place like that. With another sigh she turned around ready to go back home but felt a hand on her shoulder pushing her back softly, she snapped her head ready to curse whoever touched her like this when she saw a pair of familiar black eyes staring at her happily.

"Arry! I can't believe you are here." Hot Pie said in his always enthusiastic tone that was audible over the beat of the song. Arya turned to face him properly. The fat guy was still holding an open smile in his lips. Arya looked to his happy face and couldn't help but feeling that she should've gone earlier. "Why didn't you tell us you were coming?"

She frowned wondering why the use of plural in his sentence when she saw another familiar face walking in their direction. A tall sixteen-year boy with pale blond hair and dark blue eyes staring directly at her with a big smile in his lips

"Ned..." She murmured knowing that probably nobody heard her. Ned hugged her without thinking twice which made her flinch for a second. The hug didn't last that long for Arya to hug him back. Ned stepped back and with the same big smile crossing his face looked at her from head to toe.

"You look fit as fuck." He said in his typical flirting voice that Arya was used to.

Arya grinned and realized if a great surprise that she almost laughed.

Ned's comment made Hot Pie check on her for the first time in the evening. "Why not letting us know you would be here?" His tone was something as offended but the smile remained in his lips.

"Margaery drove me and Sansa here." She said trying to ignore Hot Pie's look at her chest area. Arya snapped her fingers in front of his face. "I'm here you wanker." And then she pointed at her. "Look at my face."

Hot Pie laughed but stopped when he noticed the angry look Arya was shooting him. "I can't help."

"I mean" Hot Pie started again. "I prefer Sansa's tits but yours look good too." He concluded probably thinking this was a good way out of Arya's rage. The girl just rolled her eyes and shook her head thinking how Hot Pie could be so stupid. Ned shook his head too but he was laughing.

"I dunno mate. I think I prefer Arya's…"

Arya snnaped her head to face the blond boy. "No. We are not gonna talk about my sister's tits….Or mine." Ned and Hot Pie looked at each other grinning and Aya knew this would be her doom. "Oh fuck, you're not gonna talk about this the whole night, right?" This time they laughed and Arya didn't resist and smiled with then.

She missed them. Ever since her father's death she shut herself and spent the entire year dismissing her friends. They were always there to help her but she felt uneasy with their company and preferred to spend the hours alone in her room, which was unusual for the old Arya. Hot Pie tried to cheer her up with food and bad jokes but even when she smiled and laughed he could feel it wasn't sincere. Her feelings never reached her eyes and she felt empty inside like something was missing. Her father was missing.

By the other hand Ned said everything he could to comfort her. Maybe he thought it was his role as they being close friends. But just like Hot Pie's cakes and jokes his words never reached her.

"So are you ready to have a blast tonight?" Ned asked. Arya blinked twice making herself back from her thoughts.

"Sure." She answered reluctantly.

He smiled again. Ned was the type of boy that every girl in school would fall in love with, especially because his family was wealthy and well-known around the country. They knew each other since their childhood when they played as knights and princesses. She remembered the first time they talked, he was angry because Sansa never chose him to be her knight always preferring Joffrey over him. Arya hated to play the role of a princess in the game so she decided they would be knights looking for adventures. Since then they have been best friends. And since then he had loved her.

She wasn't oblivious to his feelings but she knew she didn't feel the same way as he did. So she decided to put his feeling aside and continue to be best mates. Sometimes he would make jokes about them two being together in the future. The jokes were encouraged by their families, unfortunately.

"I'm happy to see that the old good Arya is back. We missed you around here." Ned said approaching her to make him audible. "How about a drink?" She nodded staring at his blue eyes that strangely looked like purple in the nightclub's lights.

Arya looked from Ned to Hot Pie. They were waiting for an answer and she knew they were waiting for a positive one.

She shrugged and answered the first thing that came into her mind. Something that she used to do a lot.

"Let's get fucked."

 

* * *

  

Joffrey's hands were on her waist but he wasn't paying any attention to the red-headed girl. He was talking and making cruel jokes with his friends from the football team. The girl sighed after listening the word 'hot' for what seemed to be the thousand time, she knew the subject of their conversation have changed and now they were checking up on the girls. She was used to it by now. Joffrey had always been a kind of womanizer and in the past it would be the main problem of their relationship, they had huge arguments about his behavior but none of them seemed to have changed him so she decided she would have to put up with it.

After all she loves him.

_I love him…_

These words echoed in her mind as she closed her eyes trying to organize her thoughts. Since she could remember she has loved Joffrey. She always thought of him as some kind of prince like she used to hear in fairy tales and in the beginning of their relationship he was sort of prince like. His gold hair and blue eyes always caring and searching for her, his courtesy was definitely prince like and she fell for him easily. But now this seemed like a different life and all she could see was a selfish rich boy with a difficult temper and spoiled behavior. She sighed again correcting the sentence in her head.

_I loved him…_

The thought scared her and she shrugged feeling like a total strange. Joffrey looked at her probably noticing her body's reaction under his hands.

"What's the problem?" He said in a groan getting annoyed because he stopped his important conversation. Suddenly she felt really small under his gaze.

"Nothing, love. I just need to catch some fresh air." She said in her usual lovely tone and made herself free of his hands.

Joffrey did not protest and just nodded like giving his permission to her. She stopped for a moment feeling uneasy. Sometimes she had this feeling that Joffrey maybe thought of her as an object or some kind of pet. Something that he owned, pretty and  _obedient_.

Sansa begun to feel nauseous and quickly made her way out of the club. She only realized she was in the smokehouse when she smelled cigarettes. Sansa wasn't a big fan of cigarettes but the cold air was more than welcomed now.

She glanced the back of a tall boy with dark hair and immediately recognized him. How could she not? He is one of her sister's best friends. Or was. She wasn't sure anymore. Before she could think straight she headed to where Gendry was. On her way she got the attention of some guys who looked at her like she was a piece of meat. Another thing she was used to. She stopped by his side leaning over the wall beside him.

"Long time no see." He said letting the smoke out of his lips.

"Yeah. It's been a while…"

Gendry was in some of her classes but the school wasn't the place they first met. The seventeen year old boy was the kid of one of the Stark's maid who had worked in their house since Sansa could remember. Catelyn, her mother, always had a deep appreciation for Gendry's mother services and loyalty and used to allow the eight year old Gendry play with the Stark children. Gendry was closer to Sansa's age but his friendship grow bigger with her sister. Sometimes Sansa thought that it wasn't only friendship but she always kept her thoughts to herself. Arya didn't seem to bother about Gendry's background but Sansa knew her mother, and the rest of the wealthy families of Westeoros, wouldn't appreciate if Arya had some kind of relationship with a lowborn guy, despite Catelyn's consideration to his mother.

"Why are you here by yourself?"

Sansa finally looked at his face thinking of what to answer.

"It was too damn hot inside." She lied.

Gendry made some understanding noise with his throat while hanging the cigarette between his lips. She could feel his gaze on her like he knew she was lying so she said the first thing that came into her mind.

"Arya is here."

For one moment he stopped the action of leading the cigarette to his mouth hanging his hand in the air. He didn't look to Sansa but she knew he seemed almost…scared. She frowned feeling the curiosity rise inside her after seeing his reaction to her sister's name.

"What happened between you two?"

"Nothing, we still mates." Gendry snapped and Sansa startled for one second to his fast answer.

"Are you sure?" She insisted knowing that maybe she was pushing too far. " Cause I haven't seen you around for a while…"

"I have my own issues" He answered quickly and began to smoke again. Sansa crossed her arms over her chest feeling annoyed for the lack of understanding; she would have to go after Arya to know what was wrong with these two.

_Besides the current happenings…_

Maybe she was being just stupid; of course they would not be alright. Not after all the death and loss around their families. Sansa cursed herself regretting she started the conversation in the first place and there was an awkward silence.

Sansa listened to a sigh, she turned her head and saw Gendry throwing the cigarette butt on the ground to smash it with his foot. "It's not that we are not friends anymore, it's just…complicate." He finally said.

Before Sansa could take in the information given something caught her attention. On the opposite side of the smokehouse she could see the slim silhouette of Margaery. The brown haired girl was talking to an older man, tall and suspicious. Sansa saw perfectly when the man passed a small package to Margaery who accepted it and handed an amount of money back to him. Sansa blinked twice before finally understand the situation.

_Oh, no_ _._

"I…I have to go back inside." She turned her back to Gendry. "Arya is inside too." She added and rushed inside having Margaery on her sight without giving time to Gendry react.

By the corner of her eye she saw the suspicious tall man disappear among the crowd on the dance floor so she hurried her steps finally reaching Margaery. She pushed the girl by her shoulder and Margaery looked at her in surprise.

"Sansa" She smiled politely like always did, hiding her surprised features. "You scared me."

Sansa looked around making sure no one were paying attention to them "Were you buying drugs?"

Margaery gave Sansa a half smile. "Of course I was." This time Sansa looked genuine surprised and Margaery just laughed at her friend's reaction. "Just some pills. We need to relax a little bit, don't you think?"

"This…I…"  _A loss of words in the fucking worst time._  Sansa thougt, she didn't notice Joffrey until he wrapped his long arms around her waist in a possessive way.

"Hey love." He said kissing the side of her neck. She could see Margaery staring them interact. "I was looking for ya"

Margaery frowned looking suddenly annoyed which was untypical for the girl. She was the kind of person who was always polite and tried to please the others.

"I brought the pills, Joff."

The girl pulled from her bra the small package that was hidden and handed it to Joffrey.

"You're awesome." He said and Sansa saw Margaery grin to his compliment.

"I don't think we should use it…" She said turning her body to face her boyfriend, he wasn't paying attention to her. Instead he was staring at the pills like analyzing them.

"They are what I asked, right?" Sansa knew the question wasn't for her. Margaery quickly was by her side grabbing one of Sansa's arm.

"Of course they are. I caught them with the same guy from the last time."

Sansa raised one of her perfect made eyebrows.

_Now this was some new information._

"Last time?" She asked curiously.

"I was with the boys the one night and we used these pills." Joffrey said in a casual tone, like it wasn't a big deal. Sansa felt betrayed. Why was she the last one to know about things?

She pushed her hair to the back of her ear and suddenly feeling the urge of leaving the place. By her side she could feel Margaery's hand squeezing her arm gently.

"Don't worry Sansa. You will love them."

Something in Margaery's face didn't give Sansa that much sure, but she was her best friend and so she decided to go along with it. She saw Joffrey smile at them and open the package giving one pill to each girl and turning to his stupid friends to give the rest of the drugs to them.

Sansa stared at the pill in her hand with a blank expression. She lifted the pill holding it between her fingers. She didn't want to use it.

"Joffrey I think I will pass…" She was caught by surprise by Joffrey's hands grabbing her face and leaning for a kiss.

And it was not a gentle one.

Sansa could feel the pill dancing in their tongues inside her mouth. She listened to his friends and Margaery laughs while she was fighting with him wanting to be free from his embrace but it was too late. She had swallowed it.

 

* * *

 

He easily spotted Arya on the dance floor. She was dancing to the beat of a song that she probably didn't know, moving her head from one side to another which was making her hair flip. He noticed she was smiling and her eyes were closed.

_She must have drunk a lot._ He concluded with a grin.

He knew her very well to know when she was drunk and he couldn't tell if it was a good or a bad thing.

"Gendry"

Gendry snapped his head to the direction of the voice, dispersing his thoughts.

"Ned"

The blond one leaned to the bar's counter besides him. Gendry shifted the weight of his body feeling uncomfortable with the other boy's presence.

"She is something, isn't she?"

Gendry didn't have to look at the same direction as Ned to know what he was talking about. With a sight he turned his back to the dance floor and asked for another drink deciding not answering Ned.

When the barman came back with his beer Ned turned and asked the same drink as his. Gendry sipped to the beer tasting the familiar bitter drink. That was when he noticed some girl's giggling by his other side. Ned and he turned their faces to meet some of their schools girls staring at them and smiling.

"I think they are hitting on us" Ned said before drinking from his beer.

Gendry tried not to laugh and kept a sarcastic tone. "You think a lot of yourself, don't ya"

Ned shrugged. "If I don't who will do it for me?" This time Gendry laughed.

Ned was a funny lad and together with Hot Pie they were unstoppable. Gendry used to hang out with them a lot in school, especially Hot Pie since they were in the same school year but now things were different. Since his brother went missing his life became twisted and school wasn't really something he was putting much effort, his social life either.

One of the girls waved her hand calling the boys attention, both looked at her but she was clearly staring at Ned like she knew him.

"I think she wants to talk to you"

"I know her." Ned groaned and Gendry had the impression the blond guy wasn't that fond of her.

"I think if you don't go there she'll come over" Gendry watched with a hint of amusement the insistent girl who seemed to be angry at Ned's indifference.

"Shit" Ned sighed and gulped his beer. "Be right back" Gendry's eyes followed the guy with curiosity until he reached the girl and they started to talk.

His view was blocked by Arya. She came out from the dance floor stumbling and smiling until she reached the bar leaning her upper body on the counter and calling the barman's attention to ask for a drink.

"Tequila?" He said in an incredulous voice which made her look at him for the first time in a few months.

Her smile faded slowly as she recognized the blue eyes. He stared back at her noticing sadly that her eyes were dark with the blinking light of the club. He remembered hers as grey and with a fiery fire that she had since they first met. The fire was still there but now her eyes seemed like two marbles looking through him like a reminder of feelings he didn't want to handle right now. Even though, he looked back at her. They stared at each other for what seemed hours until the sound of a glass cup against the counter woke them up.

The barman poured the drink in the small cup and left it there for Arya. She had her eyes down focusing them at nothing and didn't seem to notice the drink in front of her. Gendry looked away drinking his beer while thinking of what to say; never in his life would he have imagined his relationship with Arya to be that messed up.

He knew she was hiding herself under the 'Im okay' mask that she's been using for the past few months. And she probably could sense his hesitation in talking to her since her father's death.

He sighed.

She probably thinks he was just a terrible friend who wasn't there when she needed. But that was not what was truly bothering him. He actually was a feeling like a coward for not facing his fears and worst of all, a liar. And for that he could not face her properly again.

Maybe he should just leave.

"You're here."

The sound of her voice almost scared him and by the corner of his eyes he could see that she hasn't moved.

"So are you." He said quietly.

She made a quick move and grabbed the cup in front of her leading it to her lips and swallowing the drink in one gulp without even flinch. Gendry knew it was a strong drink but Arya didn't even make some funny face like most of people usually make while drinking tequila and he liked her even more for that. Despite the mask the fierce girl was still inside her.

"I didn't know you liked this kind of drink."

"I bet there are lots of things you don't know about me now." She snapped dryly, her eyes wandering through the counter trying to find something to focus on but the task seemed to be difficult.

_She is drunk._

Gendry knew what Arya was referring to. He had set a distance among them and he was aware of it, tough it was questionable if it was entirely his fault. Arya was difficult to handle too and even more stubborn than him, but her words hurt him more than he imagined they would.

Arya must have noticed his pained look. "Hot pie…" She started but it seemed difficult to find the words now as the alcohol did its effect. "He offered me and I took it."

Gendry made an understanding noise while drinking the last gulp of his beer. He set the bottle on the counter and it took everything he had to look at her again.

For his surprise she was with closed eyes and moving her head slightly probably feeling kind of dizzy, on her face was a thoughtful expression like she was thinking about lots of things at the same time. He took the time to linger his eyes in her face, lips, body…She looked stunning with her outfit, make-up was almost perfect and her hair tangled as some strands were stuck in her neck with sweat probably because of all the flips she had been doing while dancing.

"Gendry" Her voice caught in her throat, not quite a sob and called Gendry's attention back to her face. She was still in the same way but in her lips a shadow of a smile could be noticed and what she said after caught Gendry by surprise. "I miss you."

For some moment he wasn't sure if he truly understood what Arya said until she finally opened her eyes. Dark as they were before but this time something in they were different, something that Gendry didn't have the name for. She stared directly at him so intensely that he thought she could see through him and which made his heart sank. Arya always had this effect upon him and he never learned how to put up a guard.

Gendry opened his lips slowly trying to form the words for feelings he had been feeling for ages but never said out loud when Ned's voice became audible breaking the whole moment. Arya glanced the counter again as Ned approached with the girls from before and Gendry could swear that there was nothing in this world he hated more than Ned right now. Although Ned and the girls were still engaged in some kind of conversation on their own he could sense that now and then Ned was paying attention to Arya and him. He closed his mouth swallowing his words and an uncomfortable silent was set among them.

Arya didn't seem happy by his lack of answer.

She caught the small glass from before and knocked it on the counter.

"More tequila here." She demanded from the barman who was not pleased with her lack of manners. Clearly Arya wasn't sober enough to care about the man's opinion.

"I don't think you…" He started.

"Shut up" Arya demanded angrily changing completely her personality from moments ago. This time she glanced Gendry by the corner of her eyes. "Don't act like you care about me"

He clenched his jaw feeling the anger fill him in. He does care about her and that was the fucking problem. It was because of his caring for her that their lives were now fucked up.

He did feel guilt for everything without having her reprimanding him.

Or reminding him of what he did although he doubted she was conscious about everything.

_She is just upset for losing her friend._  He repeated on his head calming himself.

Gendry didn't see when the barman poured another shot for Arya but now she was drinking it a little more desperate than the last time. He recognized her urge to get drunk. The usage of alcohol to dull some feeling was really useful but only for some hours. He had done it before a lot so he sympathized with the situation.

"Arya." He reached her elbow grabbing it gently but she freed herself aggressively.

"Don't." She hissed.

And he recognized that too.

She was doing what he did to her, pulling him away more and more. Running away from her emotions just like he was doing and he couldn't help her because he didn't even know how to help himself.

"So girls, these are my friends." Gendry saw Arya stepping away giving space to Ned and the girls to stay between them. Ned passed an arm around Arya's shoulders bringing her closer to his body. Gendry noticed with a displeasing look that she didn't pull him away like she did with him. "This is Arya. And this is Gendry."

The girls said their greetings and Gendry answered them noticing now that there were actually three of them and one he knew from his class, a dark haired girl named Willow. And she was the one who started to talk to him. Gendry gave short answers not really paying attention to her as his eyes now and then wandered to where Arya was. Ned's arm was off her by now but he kept her close.

And he knew this night wouldn't end up well for any of them.

 

* * *

  

Her eyes were still closed but she was awake already. The pond in her head was too strong to let her fall sleep again. She moved feeling sore in all kind of places, her back, her neck and especially her thighs.

_Shit._

Reluctantly she opened her eyes. It was all blurred from the beginning as her eyes adjusted to the clarity of the room. She felt confused for a time without knowing where she was. It was definitely not her room, but something in it made it look strangely familiar.

White walls and blue curtains. Her eyes widened with recognition.

_Shit._

Now she noticed there was an arm around her waist holding her tight against someone's naked body. On her back she could feel his breathe gently caressing her neck. A desperation feeling started to rise inside her and she turned around quickly without caring if her movements would wake up the other person or not. She immediately regretted it feeling sore again.

She closed her eyes waiting the pain goes away and only opened them to see Ned's face close to her.

_Oh, shit Arya._

_What have you done?_

 

 

 

 


	2. Gendry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As he made an attempt to move he felt his head hurt so much that he swore to himself he would never drink again. If a sigh he woke up completely sitting on his couch and staring the television in front of him. He could see his reflection and, honestly, he looked like shit. He was shirtless, his thick black hair was a mess and his face was screwed up.  
> He felt like shit too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well things are going to start to make sense chapter after chapter. Hope you like it :)

**Chapter 2**

**Gendry**

 

_1,2,3,4,5…_

_His eyes were closed as he whispered the numbers counting until ten. He, Arya and Ned were playing together again but this time he was the knight who was supposed to find them and kill the beast._

_6,7,8,9,10._

_No sooner did he open his eyes he felt a puppy’s fur brush by the side of his right leg. He looked down to find Nymeria, Arya’s husky puppy._

_Gendry frowned. “Hey, you were supposed to be the beast.”_

_The dog did no mention to move._

_“Go! If you don’t go Arya will be angry at me.” He looked around trying to find something to throw away for the dog to chase. He got a stick from the ground and did as he planned._

_Nymeria stood still glaring him with yellow eyes looking confused by the boy’s attitude._

_Gendry felt frustrated._

_“Go!” He got another stick from the ground and was about to throw it in the same direction when he heard someone come from the woods._

_“You are stupid as a bull.” Gendry immediately recognized the girl’s voice. Nymeria moved quickly to where Arya was and the girl patted the dog’s head with affection._

_The girl came closer to him with a defiant look in her eyes which made Gendry shiver. Arya was one year younger than him and far smaller than the girls from her age but she lacked the good sense of not provoking people bigger than her which usually make her go through every kind of problematic situation. And one of these situations was when they met._

_Gendry put himself together and stared back at her with the same childish and defiant look, like any other 8-year-old boy would do._

_“What are you doing here? You were supposed to hide.”_

_“I was hiding, but then you decided to act stupidly.” Arya said sounding annoyed. She grabbed a small stick from the ground and shook it in front of the dog’s eyes. Nymeria raised her ears suddenly aware of Arya’s action. The girl then threw the stick and Nymeria went after it right away disappearing in the woods. “That’s how you do it. Now go back there and count again.” She said smiling all confident and superior._

_He did his best to not look annoyed by the girl he merely knew. It’s been only a few weeks since their first met; he helped Arya to get rid of some older boys who were bothering her because she was wearing what they called ‘un-lady clothes’. He thought she was a boy at a first sight but when the fight caught his attention he saw that ‘he’ was actually a girl and went to help. However if he come to think about the situation now he doubted he was helping her since she was on top of the scared boy hitting him in the face. He just separated the fight like his older brother used to do when he got in his own fights with the idiots from his school and the boys ran away scared._

_Ever since then they stick together later finding out his mother was actually her mother’s maid and that was the reason he was there in the rich neighborhood with those spoiled kids. She wrinkled her nose probably not linking to be tagged as a rich and spoiled kid, he remembered they had some argument at that time and he called her something she didn’t like._

_Gendry smiled evilly at her reminding about the nickname she hated so much._

_“Yes, m’lady.”_

_He could see Arya’s face reddened with fury. “Do not call me that.” She demanded._

_“As m’lady commands.”_

_And she did something different this time; she pushed him with all her strength. Gendry was caught by surprise by the small girl and tripped on his own legs falling on the ground._

_He looked baffled for some seconds and then he burst into laughter._

_She turned and stepped away looking as red as she was before._

_“You are stupider than the rest of the boys.” He heard her grumble._

His eyes opened almost automatically as the light from the living-room window violated his sight. He narrowed his eyes feeling a little bit dizzy and sick and didn’t resist closing them again. Memories from his dream filled his mind, he had dreamt of his childhood. And Arya was there, again.

As he made an attempt to move he felt his head hurt so much that he swore to himself he would never drink again. If a sigh he woke up completely sitting on his couch and staring the television in front of him. He could see his reflection and, honestly, he looked like shit. He was shirtless, his thick black hair was a mess and his face was screwed up.

 He felt like shit too.

“Fuck.”

Gendry got up from the couch heading directly to his bedroom, but he stopped at the door looking to the female silhouette laid on his bed. _So, that’s why I was on the couch._

He entered the room anyway and headed to his wardrobe looking for some clean t-shirt to wear before the red-headed girl could wake up.

Sansa mumbled something which called his attention; he finished changing and walked towards his bed looking at the girl moving from one side to another between the sheets. He never thought he would live long enough to see something like this. Sansa Stark, the ice queen of high school, waking up in his bed.

He had found her passed out last night on the nightclub’s sofa. Gendry tried to woke her up but he had no response. He didn’t know much about drugs but the little he knew was on Sansa’s behavior last night. He had seen her stumbled on the dance floor, dancing totally out of herself with her friends who seemed more fucked up than she was. But when he saw her again she was alone with no sight of her friends or Joffrey whatsoever.

He thought that leaving her there could be dangerous.

_Starks are a problem._

“Sansa.” He poked the girl’s shoulder. “Wake up.”

She jerked his hand away and turned her body to the other side. “Lemme sleep Joff.”

Gendry frowned his brow not liking to be confused with the blonde prick named Joffrey. “Sansa you are gonna be late for school.” She didn’t move and he thought about making a less subtle approach. “I don’t think you want to show up at school wearing the same clothes from yesterday. People can misunderstand.”

With a click she opened her eyes and snapped her head to his direction and Gendry was proud at himself for waking her up so fast. The girl glared him looking totally confused, she leaned her elbows on the mattress looking around the room trying to recognize where she was.

“It’s my room.” He said to make things easier for her.

“What the fuck am I doing _here_?” was her answer.

Gendry made a huge effort to not laugh in front of her, he knew Sansa for years and could count in one hand how many times he heard her swear, bad names were more Arya’s liking. The thought of the other Stark made his face darkened reminding him of what he saw yesterday.

“I found you unconscious yesterday, thought you were going to remember what happened.”

She nodded.

“Well…” He shrugged. “I’m going to prepare some coffee. If you want to use the bathroom I don’t mind” He turned away and left the bedroom before the girl could answer anything.

In large steps he reached the kitchen floor fast trying to fill his mind with different things other than yesterday. To make breakfast was a common thing for him after his mother’s death, actually all the house’s work was not a big deal for him. He was used to live by himself with anyone to rely on, well; maybe Yoren was someone who could be counted as a helpful person. The thought of Yoren made him remind of his practice later on today after class and the thought of school made him remember of Arya.

Gendry pressed his eyelids with the palms of his hands trying to focus on nothing else but the darkness in front of him, until the smell of baked coffee grains reached his nose. He turned his attention to the cabinets searching for something eatable to offer to his ‘guest’. While in his mission he could hear the girl approaching the kitchen with small steps and seat. Now he had found some toasts and hoped she liked them because it was the only thing in his kitchen right now, he was distracted with his work when Sansa’s voice woke him up.

“Finally you picked up the cellphone, Arya!” She sounded relieved, like she was trying to speak with her sister for a long time. “Where are you?”

Gendry pretended he was doing something important, trying to seem like he wasn’t listening to the girl’s talk. The coffee was ready. He poured it in two mugs and leaded them to the table where Sansa was.

“What?? Ned’s place???” Her surprised tone was incredible loud and Gendry couldn’t even pretend he didn’t listen to her. Sansa looked at him the same time Gendry’s eyes were on her and she had an apologetic face which made Gendry remember what Arya used to say about her sister, she was observant and had the strange skill of reading whatever was in the other person’s mind, but rarely spoke her own. She turned her head to another way speaking lower this time. “Me? I’m at Margaery’s place, of course.”

Gendry raised an eyebrow wondering why she was lying to Arya after all everything he did was to help her get to a safe place. Maybe it was better to ignore this fact, anyway. He went to the kitchen to grab the toast and came back to the table, seating in front of Sansa who had finished her phone call and was staring awkwardly between him and the coffee mug on the table.

“You can drink it.” He said taking one of the mugs and leading it to his mouth.

Sansa sighed and did the same. After one long gulp she looked better than before, her face was bare and clean, but despite the sleep bags under her eyes and the party clothes she was in, nobody could say she was found blacked out last night.

“I’m sorry for making you sleep on the couch.” And she had the same apologetic face from before.

His house was small but it had three bedrooms, one was his own and the other two were from his brother and mother. He only opened his mother’s room to clean and make sure that everything was in place and even this small task was difficult, every time was like a reminder that she would never come back again. His brother’s room wasn’t a room anymore. Since Gendry could remember his brother was into computers and electronic stuffs. He loved to break into someone’s computer just to prove that “anyone can be discovered”, his brother used to say. Something more like an amateur hacker would say. Since Edric went missing Gendry liked to spend hours in his brother’s room learning about computers things and searching for clues or anything that could lead him to where his brother was now.

So, of course he slept on the couch.

“Don’t worry.” He said eating now one of the toasts. Sansa did the same, but after the first bite she did a nauseous face and dismissed it on the table again.

“My stomach hurts.” She complained.

Gendry looked at her, curious. “Y’know, you looked really bad yesterday. What did you use?”

Sansa leaned her elbows on the table holding her head and staring down. “I don’t know…” She didn’t even sound embarrassed for his surprise. She only closed her eyes with a pained look across her face. “Some pills Joffrey brought…”

The mention of the idiot’s name made Gendry remind of something, he was quiet for a moment choosing carefully what he was going to say. “Did he take them too?”

“Yeah…” Sansa was in the same position. She didn’t seem to notice Gendry’s hesitation.

The sound of some pop music interrupted Gendry to formulate the next sentence. Sansa picked up her cellphone quickly and stood up. For what Gendry understood her taxi driver was outside of his house waiting for her.

“Thanks for helping me” She said gathering her things and putting her cellphone inside her handbag. “I’m sorry that I troubled you, really.” She was now leading to the door and Gendry followed her, he unlocked the door and made room for her to leave. She stopped and looked at him wanting to say something and Gendry had an idea of what the girl wanted.

“Nobody will know about this.”

Sansa smiled apologetic, again. “Thanks Gendry.”

And she left leaving Gendry with one thought on his mind and something on the tip of his tongue.

He saw Joffrey yesterday leaving the club with Margaery.

 

* * *

 

 

It took some days until Gendry reunited all the courage he had to go to school again. He had missed the first week of school and if it wasn’t Yoren pissing him off he’d probably never appear there again.

He didn’t belong to this place. He was just there because some guy he didn’t even know pays him a great amount of money per month, plus his school expenses. The allowance started when his mother died one year ago, but the school expenses began when he entered the high school. Whenever he asked about the money for his mother she would say that it was a gift from his real father. Like someone he never had the pleasure to meet was worthy to be called ‘father’.

Besides, he knew what the gossip of the moment was. Arya and Ned were spotted leaving the party together and during the party they were really intimate.

Gendry knew it was just a formal way to say that they had fucked. And he was not ready to face the world again knowing that this time the gossip mighty be true.

He avoided all the comments and glares. And for once in his life he paid attention to what the teacher was saying. He wasn’t an exemplar student and he always skipped classes, but his grades were all great so the teachers leave him be. Gendry didn’t have the patient in waiting the other students to learn something he understood in the first five minutes of explanation.

The lunch was something he hadn’t thought before, though. Now he was there, seated with Hot Pie who talked with no end about some chick he met at the party. By the corner of his eyes he could see Arya on the line to get her lunch. Ned was by her side talking to himself as the girl didn’t mind to answer.

After getting her food tray she leaded to their table but stopped in the middle of the way when her eyes met his eyes with a shadow of surprise. Ned was still by her side but she didn’t even look to him.

Then, she said something to the blonde one and leaded to another table to seat by herself.

Hot Pie stopped to talk noticing that Arya went away. “Well…” But he was cut off by Ned’s presence.

The boy sat in front of them looking miserable and sad. He didn’t seem to notice Gendry and a silent was set among them. Hot Pie sighed heavily with an angry frown in his face. And when the fat boy was angry he did everything angry. He was stuffing the food in his mouth looking occasionally from where Arya was to Gendry and Ned.

Ned was the first one to break the silence. “She is ignoring me since Monday”

_Perfect_. He felt his hand close in a fit trying to manage his anger.

Gendry doubted Ned’s words were for him, but the last thing he wanted now was to hear Hot Pie and Ned discuss about Arya.

Hot Pie stopped abruptly to eat which called their attention. “What is wrong with you two?” He beat his hand on the table. Gendry and Ned looked at each other, one was confused and the other embarrassed. “You.” Hot Pie pointed his fat finger to the confused one, Gendry. “You don’t abandon your friends when they fucking need your help.”

“And you.” This time his finger was pointed to Ned, who was red like an apple. “You don’t fuck with your friends. Just…” He shook his head looking from one guy to another “Just _don’t_. You’re terrible friends.”

Gendry looked to Ned’s startled face and imagined he was with the same reaction. Hot Pie never said more than one intelligent word in his existence, and now his entire statement was so corrected that it would be actually funny if it wasn’t this tragic.

The fat boy was ready to take his tray and leave the two fools alone when a small commotion dragged their attention. By the other side of the room he could see Sansa and Joffrey arguing about something. He noticed they weren’t the only ones staring at them two discuss.

Gendry, then, moved his eyes to where Arya was seated and saw that she was looking at her sister too.

“They are talking about you.” Ned said.

He looked again to where Sansa and Joffrey were and now he could clearly understand his name over the murmurs. He noticed all the glares over his direction and immediately knew what their love quarrel was about. Somehow Joffrey had heard about Sansa stay in his house and being the little cunt he was probably hadn’t wanted to understand that Gendry only helped her, since Joffrey was too busy leaving the place with his girlfriend’s best friend.

Now the voices of Sansa and Joffrey were close and Gendry saw she was trying to stop the blonde guy to go to their table. Gendry didn’t move, he wasn’t afraid of Joffrey or his friends. He knew he could take them down with a few blows, he had the experience in wrestling that he needed for that.

Joffrey managed to get away from Sansa hands a little too violent which made the girl fall on her knees. In a matter of seconds Arya was by her sister’s side helping the girl stand up straight while Joffrey was heading to his direction with three other boys that Gendry recognized from the football matches of the school.

By his side Hot Pie and Ned stood up, and Gendry remained seated.

“Who do you think you are to keep my girlfriend in your house?” Joffrey practically screamed pointing his finger to Gendry’s face.

“She was unconscious when I saw her. Would you rather leaving her by herself?” He answered calmly staring at Joffrey.

“I would rather if she didn’t sleep in the house of someone like _you_.” And the way Joffrey said the last word really bothered Gendry, he knew where this discussion would end up. “A fucking _bastard_.”

Now he was angry.

Gendry stood up too which made Joffrey take two steps behind. He was aware of how tall he is, but Joffrey seemed to have forgotten about that until now and he was trying to find a place between his friends.

Suddenly Arya showed up from behind the crew of giant idiots and grabbed Joffrey’s hand twisting it in a very professional way, something like a self-defense instance. The pained look of Joffrey’s face made sure she was hurting him like hell.

“Take it back.” Her voice sounded incredible threatening.

Joffrey seemed not to care about her threat, though. “You little bitch.” He tried to move.

Arya then grabbed his hair and pushed his head down knocking furiously his nose against the edge of the table. Joffrey made an anguish noise and felt into his knees disoriented. Arya left him on his knees and he immediately leaded his hands to his nose. Gendry couldn’t see but he bet Joffrey’s nose was bleeding.

“What are you waiting for you morons? Get her.” Joffrey managed to say.

Like robots his friends moved and now Gendry knew Arya wouldn’t be able to handle three of them even with her new acquired skills.

What happened next was still a mess in his head.

Ned punched one guy. Gendry another. And Hot Pie made no difference since Arya jumped on the other boy’s neck throwing punches and kicks all over him.

The whole situation seemed familiar to him, but this time he didn’t drag Arya out of the fight.

 

* * *

 

Gendry was seated by Arya’s side with a bag of ice over his right hand. He had punched the guy too strong and almost broke one of his fingers. He was used to the pain. Now and then he twisted his wrist or his fingers practicing wrestling in Yoren’s gym.

Ned was in the principal’s room along with Hot Pie, Joffrey and his friends were at the infirmary with Sansa. Apparently she had hurt her wrist when Joffrey pushed her.

And now he was there with Arya waiting their turns to listen a speech of how to behave properly and avoid fights.

He glanced Arya.

Her hair was uncombed and her clothes were misaligned, just like the first time he saw her.

He grinned.

“What?” She asked looking confused.

“Nothing.” Why was he smiling for, anyway? “I just remembered something.”

“The first time we met?” Her half-grin met his.

“Yeah.”

They laughed.

The sound of her laugh must be the most beautiful sound of the world. That was all Gendry could think while watching the younger girl laughing like she used to do in the past. He missed that smiling Arya he used to see every time. The girl he used to argue often and then talk easily like nothing had happened.

“I miss you, too.” The words slipped from his lips before he realize what he actually have said. Arya didn’t seem surprise. Her laugh just faded away as she kept a grin on her face.

She took the ice bag from his hand pressing her fingertips carefully where his hand was slightly swollen. Arya had the effect of surprising him every time.

It didn’t hurt, but the contact of her hot skin with his cold skin made him shiver. She seemed to notice this but didn’t mind to take her hand away.

“I know…” She said quietly and he didn’t know anymore what she was referring to.

Their smiles were caught by each other and they stayed like this for some moments until the shock of reality hit her back.

She returned the ice bag to his hand. “You need to keep it cold if you want to practice again this week.”

“Thanks.” Gendry tried to ignore the urge to touch her skin again. He accepted the ice bag and kept it over his hurt hand. “You didn’t hurt yourself, did ya?”

“Of course not” She sounded almost offended which made Gendry think about the fight earlier.

Arya used to get involved in every kind of fights while younger. She never put up with bullies and Gendry could tell that the girl had a taste for the adrenaline, especially because she used to insist to him to teach some of the wrestling he was practicing. It was strange, though, how she moved so easily over the big boy friends’ with Joffrey and how she managed to immobilized the blonde prick.

“Where did you learn that moves?”

Arya’s eyes were out of focus and she seemed to wake up by the sound of his voice. She stared his blue eyes. “What?” Her brow was furrowed and a casual looker could be fooled, but Gendry knew she was pretending to not understand what his question was about.

“Those fight moves. Where did you learn them?” He repeated.

She turned her face away avoiding his eyes this time. “Nowhere.”

Arya was good at almost everything he was, but her flaws were the same as his. And he was a terrible liar.

But before he could ask further the principal’s room opened and a scared Hot Pie went out from the office together with Ned whose lips were cut.

“He wants to see you, Arya.” Ned said to the girl. “Be prepared.”

Arya barely look at Ned and just sighed. She stoop up leading her way to the principal’s and closing the door behind her leaving Gendry with the other two miserable boys.

 

* * *

 

“You sorry sons of a whore move fast will ya” The rusk voice of Yoren was so loud that he could hear him from outside of the building.

Despite the ice bag his hand swallowed a lot and he was discharged from the practice for the entire week. But it didn’t mean he could not stick around.

The gym was owned by Yoren, a man that Gendry considered a lot since he was his wrestle couch. The man didn’t charge much from the students and Gendry knew he did this for charity, despite Yoren denies it every time he receive a compliment for his work. The gym was one of the places Gendry used to go to run away from his problems; here nobody from his school could reach him. And he used to help Yoren to run the gym, teaching some of the younger students and cleaning the place whenever it needed.

He was on the gym’s roof looking the city in front of him. From where he was he could see a good part of King’s landing, the Red Keeper was just a smudge for him as he was far away from the good part of the city. It was a really tall building of a business company owned by two of the richest families of Westeros, Lannisters and Baratheons. And for what he knew the Starks kept a part of the share too, just like the Tyrells.

Lannisters, Baratheons, Starks, Tyrells, Daynes and all the rich family names started to round his head.

_They can have all the money they want._ He thought feeling extremely tired of these rich people games he wasn’t willing to play.

He leaned his back to the brick floor behind him eager to close his eyes and rest for at least some minutes.

 

* * *

 

_His cellphone was ringing like crazy when he finally reached it. He saw her name on the screen and immediately answered it._

_“Can you pick me up?”_

_Arya’s voice was muffled and uncertain. He caught the car keys that one day belonged to his brother and rushed out of the door on his way to Acorn Hall._

_Today was her birthday and he knew it. Gendry couldn’t attend his best friend’s party because the little girl decided to celebrate her fifteenth year in some stupid fancy nightclub which Gendry was too poor to get in._

_They had argued because of it earlier that day, Arya repeated for a thousand time how she didn’t care with he was too poor to go in an upper class nightclub, she could put him inside the club with some of her sister’s contacts but Gendry didn’t feel comfortable enough to go._

_Arya argued he needed to have some kind of fun after everything that happened._

_He said that it was not the case, but he thinks she was too young and naive to go in a place like this._

_Both being stubborn, they argued like two kids and Gendry stoop up still while watching her leave with Ned and Hot Pie to the great place named Acorn Hall._

_A stupid name for a nightclub, in his opinion._

_The place was probably a fancy one and full of the biggest rich fools from the school, also in his opinion._

_And now he didn’t even think twice after listening to her voice on his cellphone. She sounded drunk and knowing her like he did Arya must have entered in some kind of confusion, and he wouldn’t let her alone._

_And he knew very well that whenever Arya needed him, he was there for her._

_His life seemed to be full of these little ironies._

_Within minutes he was at the upper part of the city parking his brother’s old car in front of the place Arya was in._

_By one look of it he could tell the nightclub was huge and he thought that Sansa did a great job putting everyone inside it, after all they were all teenagers. The perks of being a popular rich girl, perhaps._

_Sansa was with Margaery and someone he didn’t recognize at first, but when the other two girls approached his car carrying the third person he finally realized that it was Arya._

_“Shit” He got out of the car and ran to help the two girls, but they were too close and the only thing he could do was to open the door for them._

_They put Arya on the passenger seat; she was with her eyes closed and with no reaction._

_“Is she okay?”_

_“Yeah, she just slept.” Sansa answered her breath puffy. “I’m sorry calling you, but she didn’t want to go home with no one else.” She put her head inside the car adjusting Arya’s legs and fastening her seatbelt, when emerged again she said. “I got lost from her friends and she called you before I could say anything else.”_

_“That’s okay.”_

_“I’m going home right away. Just need to come back inside and find Joff and Loras.”_

_For what Gendry knew, Loras was Margaery’s brother and probably the contact of the girls to get inside nightclubs._

_“I meet you at my house?”_

_Gendry simply nodded. By the corner of his eyes he could see the other girl smile._

_Margaery was a beautiful girl, just like Sansa was. But differently from Sansa she was really mean when she wanted to._

_Her lips parted in catty smile while looking at Gendry. “As I said before, he is really like a brother to her.”_

_He didn’t know why but her words bothered him. He shifted his weight from on feet to another trying to look normal.  A small voice came from the car calling their attention._

_“Shut up, bitch.” The girl’s fake smile faded right away. “He is not my brother.”_

_And these words hurt him even more. Sansa immediately pulled Margaery away thanking Gendry again for helping her sister. He closed the door carefully and got inside the car as well, on his side was a wide awake Arya._

_“She just doesn’t know when to shut up.” The small girl muttered._

_Gendry tried his best to not look as bad as he was feeling. He was driving calmly, heading to her place._

_After some minutes of silence Arya groaned. “You are angry with me.”_

_He looked over her. She was staring out to the windshield and didn’t seem to be in a distress like she sounded on the cellphone._

_“I guess you were just pretending to be wasted, then.” He sighed deciding to ignore her previous statement._

_“I drank a little bit, but just pretended to be wasted to get the hell out of there.”_

_This time he could feel her eyes burn on the side of his face._

_“You are angry with me.” She insisted._

_He noticed now he was frowning all the way. The girls’ words were echoing in his head and he just wanted to beat him for feeling like this. “Yes, I am.”_

_The answer seemed to put her into silence and Gendry was thankful for that. His thoughts were in a rush and the last thing he wanted now was to argue with Arya again_

_Now and then he would glance at her. She was in some piece of cloth that people would barely call it a dress, a black one, and her feet were barefoot with the high heels thrown under her seat._

_He noticed too that she was wearing make-up._

_“Why did you go to a place like that?” He said more to himself, but she seemed to hear him._

_“I’m sorry.” She whispered._

_Gendry snapped his head to face her, surprised. Maybe it was the first time in his life he heard her say those words and it took some moment until he was able to find his word again.._

_“For what?”_

_She rolled her eyes. “Don’t push it, Gendry.”_

_“I’m serious.” His voice was hard._

_“For arguing with you today, I should’ve listened to you when you said it was a bad idea. Look what Sansa and Margaery made me wear.”_

_He thought it would be better not looking again._

_“I’m not angry for arguing with you today.”_

_“What are you angry for?” Arya sounded honestly curious._

_He stopped his car in the red signal and looked over her again._

_“I’m not your brother?” He repeated her words from before._

_She frowned like trying to remember when she said that._

_“You are angry because I said it to Margaery?”Arya didn’t seem to get the idea and Gendry was annoyed._

_“I guess I’m too lowborn to your kin, then.” His voice sounded more hurt than he wanted it to be._

_And he didn’t want to look to her anymore this night._

_This signal turned green. He continued to drive again immerse in his thoughts while listening to her breath by his side._

_His old car contrasted with the big houses as they finally entered the wealthy neighborhood she used to live in. He parked some meters before her house deciding it would be better to wait for Sansa there._

_The silence was bothering him more than ever and he turned on the radio to fill it with music._

_Arya turned it off._

_“I didn’t mean to sound that way”_

_Gendry could see her by the corner of his eyes, she was staring at him hopeful with big grey eyes and he knew that everything he was feeling before vanished. He turned his face at her softening his expression._

_“How did you mean, then?”_

_Arya chewed her lips, something she used to do a lot when she was anxious. But this time her lips were reddened with some lipstick he knew it was from Sansa and Gendry was having a hard time to stop staring them._

_She looked beautiful, but not the Arya he was friends with._

_“You know” She said quietly and shrugged deciding this was the end of the discussion. She stretched her arm to reach the radio and turn it on again, but Gendry’s hand met hers stopping her action._

_A familiar feeling started to rise inside him, and as much he tried to ignore it the feeling just raised more and more. He was not stupid, but he could not imagine that someone like Arya would mean that sentence like he wanted it to mean._

_“No, I don’t.”_

_She startled for some seconds and then just stared at him pondering his words. Gendry cursed himself knowing this time she could read him like a book; he left go off her hand before his body could betray him any longer._

_But Arya didn’t let him go and just hold his hand harder._

_Any kind of barrier he had put between his feelings and his actions were with no value now that he realized how close they actually were. And he just pushed her closer._

_A knock on the window car startled both of them and Arya this time let go of his hand fast._

_“Dad!” She was looking over Gendry’s shoulder and he didn’t want to turn to face Ned Stark._

_Arya quickly got out of the car pushing her dress in the place and leaned over to get her pumps._

_“I guess you and your sister had fun today at Margaery’s house.” Ned Stark’s voice was audible even with his window closed._

_Gendry didn’t know where to put his face and he thanked a lot for being night so the Stark couldn’t see his embarrassment. Arya probably agreed with the lie she had told to her father._

_“Go inside Arya, we talk tomorrow about your clubbing habits and your ride with an underage boy”_

_Arya leaned over and said a quiet goodbye to Gendry, she turned into her heels and got inside her house in record time._

_Another knock on his window car, and this time he opened it._

_“Gendry” Ned said solemnly._

_“Sir” He answered still embarrassed, his eyes were low and he could feel his cheeks burn._

_“How are you doing?”_

_Gendry was met with a concerned voice, something totally different from what he was expecting at this time. He blinked twice before recognizing what that tone of voice could possibly mean._

_And reality hit him like cold water. His mother’s death six months ago, of course._

_Ned Stark knew her for a long time._

_“Fine, I guess.” He shrugged not sure how to answer to this kind of question yet._

_And there was a moment of silence. Gendry dared to raise his eyes and what he saw surprised him._

_“That’s good.” Ned Stark was with a tired look in his long face, bags under his eyes and seemed fatigued like he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. The man managed to smile a little, though._

_“I need to talk to you, boy.”_

He opened his eyes startled by Yoren’s screams coming from the gym. He reached his pocket finding his cellphone and checking the time.

He was late.

And he could identify Yoren’s screams now; he was calling for him probably to help the man close the place.

He stood up slowly and gave a last glance to the street below him before he had to get inside of the building. But something got his attention. A small figure wearing a black hood was coming along the street. Gendry narrowed his eyes trying to focus on the figure and something in it made he think about a girl. She was being cautions and looking behind her while moving quickly making her way to a pub placed on the corner of the street. She moved quietly and stoop before the pub’s door which Gendry knew it was a strange place as Yoren always advised him to not enter there. He tried once, but the security kicked him out.

He was just waiting for the obviously underage girl to get kicked out like he was by the tall security guard in front of her, but the opposite happened. She entered the place easily without even showing any kind of identification.

“What the hell?” He muttered.

Maybe the odds were never in his favor. He shook his head thinking about his lack of lucky in life and went inside the gym’s building following Yoren’s voice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally the second chapter. It took me some time to do it but here it is! Usually Im not a huge fan of flashbacks but to Gendry's background I had to use it.  
> Hope you had enjoyed it.  
> Questions, critics and compliments are welcomed.  
> Thanks for those who read it, liked it or commented it <3


	3. Sansa

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She looked at herself in the mirror making some last arrangements in her make-up and dress. She wanted to be perfect tonight; as a matter of fact she needed to be perfect tonight, especially after all that fuzz in the school’s cafeteria.

**Chapter 3**

**Sansa**

 

She looked at herself in the mirror making some last arrangements in her make-up and dress. She wanted to be perfect tonight; as a matter of fact she _needed_ to be perfect tonight, especially after all that fuzz in the school’s cafeteria.

“You look beautiful Sansa...” She moved her eyes over the mirror staring at her sister’s reflection this time. Arya was laid on her bed with bored expression.

“Thanks, Arya.” Sansa huffed annoyed looking at Arya’s clothes. The younger girl was wearing a plain t-shirt and jeans. “Are you going to get ready or what?” She rushed to her wardrobe and caught a pale blue dress she had chosen for her sister. “Wear this; it’ll be beautiful on you.”

Arya did no mention to move, she didn’t even look to the dress Sansa placed on the bed next to her.

Sansa sighed and stood in front of her. “We are going to get late. C’mon! You said you were going to help me braid my hair.”

This time she got a reaction from Arya; the girl made a face and nodded. “I know.” Arya said painfully and finally moved getting on her knees leaving a place for Sansa to seat. “I’m telling you, I suck at it.”

“Just do what you used to do when you hair was longer.”

“I didn’t do anything; you and mom always annoyed me because of my hair” She ran her fingers through the short hair. Arya had a long dark hair and one day she just appeared with it chopped off, mom had freaked out when she saw her daughter, now in every four months she chops off her hair to keep it short saying she likes it better like this but Sansa had her suspicious after seeing the look of amusement in Arya’s face before Catelyn Stark’s rage.

Sansa just sighed again as Arya started to braid her hair clumsily. Usually she would have Margaery to do it for her, or her mother but she was afraid of Catelyn finding out why her wrist was still sore and Margaery well….ever since the crazy welcome party from the beginning of the semester she hasn’t been able to talk to her best friend like she used to. Flashes of that night keep coming in her head when she least expect to remember it. She knew that Joffrey made her take the pill, and after that she remembered dancing with Margaery in a way she was ashamed of even thinking of it, although she noticed her boyfriend was enjoying the view very much.

Magaery also gave to her another pill which she took with a gulp of someone’s beer. After that everything was a blur, then darkness and then Gendry’s voice telling her to wake up.

“Am I doing it right?”

Sansa looked through the mirror trying to see what Arya was doing with her hair. It was not good at all, but it would have to do. “Yeah, yeah…” She shrugged coming back to her thoughts.

Joffrey and Margaery. She knew something was off between them but couldn’t figure out what it was. After the party she noticed glances and jests that she didn’t realize before. Or was it just her imagination? She couldn’t tell anymore.

By the corner of her eyes she saw her phone buzz again. _Probably another text message annoying me with stupid questions_. Lately it seemed that Arya and she were the hot topic of the school. She was used to it but imagined that Arya was having a bad time with the nasty rumors about her private life. Plus, everyone was commenting how the Starks sisters were acting weird since their father passed away.

One year, by the way. It’s been more than one year that her father’s life was taken away and people still talk about it reminding her lost frequently, like if it wasn’t painful enough to live without him for the rest of her life. People sometimes were too cruel facing other’s misery.

She felt her eyes burn, but kept a blank expression not allowing herself to show what was on her mind. Something she learnt from Arya. Sansa looked at her sister’s reflection one more time; the girl was focused on her hair like she was doing a difficult task, and at times like these she could almost fool herself thinking that Arya was okay again. Sansa was aware of her sister’s odd behavior, sneaking out at night and coming back before morning, skipping classes to do whatever she was up to (probably sleep) and so on. One night when insomnia was disturbing her sleep, Sansa went to the kitchen to grab something to drink when the sound of keys in the front door scared her. But not as much as she scared Arya, the younger girl looked at Sansa really startled for one moment but sighed relieved after.

“You thought I was mom?” It wasn’t exactly a question and Arya didn’t answer it anyway, she just locked the door again and rushed to her bedroom not giving time to Sansa make real questions. After that Arya acted normally and now Sansa didn’t dare to ask any further, it wasn’t like Arya shared her thoughts with her anyway.

 “Sansa?”

She was distracted. “What?”

“You hair?” Arya raised the long braid of auburn hair to Sansa evaluate it.

Some strains of hair were loosening and the braid looked kind of crooked. “It will have to do.” She placed her braid over her shoulder making it look fashionable. “Thank you.”

Arya waited her sister to get up from the bed to lie down again. Sansa went to check her dress for the last time.

“What do you think?” She asked eagerly waiting for an answer that was obvious to everybody.

She looked beautiful and she knew it, but she needed to be _perfect_.

Her dresses’ choices were well-known for everybody from her school and familiar environment as being impeccable, and tonight she decided to reassure everyone’s opinion. She was wearing a lace top with a golden Mikado skirt which was making her auburn hair highlight and shine. The dress had a round neckline; three-quarter sleeves and high waist. Everything made of the finest silk from a famous brand.

Something which would call others attention but not in a lustful way. That was Joffrey’s recommendation for tonight.

She tried to ignore the nauseous feeling forming in her stomach when she remembered of her boyfriend.

“You look very beautiful, Sansa.” Despite the boredom from her words she was satisfied to hear Arya’s answer but not prepared for what came last. “I bet Joffrey will be very proud of his precious girlfriend.” The sarcasm of her words were now overflowing.

Arya was never fond of Joffrey and already had made her point expressing it in all possible ways how much she hated her sister’s boyfriend since they first met, but today Sansa didn’t want to hear about it. Again.

“Arya, please...”  She began.

“Are you really going to ignore that he is the reason why you can’t make your own hair? He almost broke your damn wrist.”

“You saying this sounds like he meant to push me. It was an accident.”

“Your lies can fool Mom, but I was there Sansa.”

Sansa ignored the urge to agree with Arya, deep down she knew her sister was right but what was she supposed to do? “He said he was sorry.”

“Like he was sorry the last time he was violent with you? Or the last time he gave you drugs and left you passed out in some club’s sofa?” And there again, sarcasm.

Sansa felt hurt by hearing the truth from another person’s mouth. “You just don’t understand…” She shook her head to forget the feeling and opened her mouth trying to sound more confident of her own words. “I…I love him.”

Maybe if she repeat that enough the love she once felt for Joffrey would come back, but she knew Arya wasn’t buying it. Her sister just stared back at her.

Stormy grey eyes with an accusatory look. She had to look away.

“What are you afraid of? Being alone?”

Sansa almost laugh at that. She knew people used to think she was just a silly girl who was in love with the popular and rich kid from her school, but the thinking of her being just somebody who was scared of loneliness was too much. She was not a coward, no matter how weak she looked if compared to Arya.

“I already told you I’m going to break up with him.” She had said this for a million times since the cafeteria’s happening; only like this Arya would not tell mom what really went on, and to be honest she really meant it, but every time she started to have this conversation with Joffrey he would remind her of his father being in a hospital bed in coma and be all gentle with Sansa which would make her change her mind and postponed whatever she was thinking to say.

“Right.” Arya rolled her eyes and got up. “I’m not going to be part of this fakeness.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m not going to the ball”

Sansa was shocked. “It’s the ball of dad’s company.”

“It _was_ his company. Not anymore Sansa.” Arya’s voice was hard just like her face. But underneath the hardness Sansa could see that she looked broken and sad.

“You cannot miss it. Mom and Robb will be so disappointed if you miss it.” She cried out trying to appeal emotionally, but Arya just nodded and started to leave the room. “I know things are difficult for you now, but you have to think about my feelings too.”

Arya stopped abruptly and turned on her heels facing Sansa with an incredulous face. “Your feelings?” Internally Sansa cursed herself. Maybe it wasn’t the right thing to say at a time like this; Arya always thought Sansa was the center of attention in every aspect of their lives.

Sansa closed her eyes taking a deep breath thinking how to make up her mistake. “I didn’t mean like that.” She tried to sound apologetic. It didn’t work.

“You are so selfish.”

“It’s not like you talk about your life, Arya. How am I supposed to know what do you want if _you_ don’t even know it?” Sansa was aware of how ambiguous her sentence had become.

Arya chewed her lips looking wounded. “I know what I want.” Suddenly Sansa had the feeling that their conversation wasn’t about the ball anymore.

“Ned Dayne?” She said before thinking of the consequences.

“No.” Arya snapped.

Sansa tried to bit her tongue but the curiosity was eating her alive. “He was your first, right?” She was the oldest sister; she should help Arya with things like this, to share her knowledge or doubts. Maybe it was a way to make Arya talk a little bit.

But instead Aya just seemed to grow angry with the question. “I’m not worried with him being at the ball Sansa.”

Sansa frowned her brow aware that Arya was changing the subject. “I wasn’t thinking about that, actually…” She got confused by her sister’s suddenly rage on that topic. “I’m just worried with you.”

“You should worry about your own damn life ‘cause from where I’m standing it looks as fucked up as mine.” and with that Arya finally left the room leaving a speechless Sansa behind.

Sansa took some time to recover from the shock of her sister’s words. Arya had this effect upon the others. She had this thing which she could expose your weakness and make you stare at it even if you didn’t want to. Even if her mistakes were as bad as yours she would just make yours feel worse, and yet she was right again.

Sansa sat on her bed felling powerless and weak before all the problems she had to deal with, Joffrey, Margaery and now Arya.

She closed her eyes thinking that maybe she wasn’t the right person to handle Arya. If only Arya and Gendry were still friends... The boy always had a way to reach the small girl better than everybody she knew.

Why were they keeping apart anyway? She still didn’t know what happened between these two, but had a clue they started to become weird around each other after Arya’s fifteen name-day and then they just pulled apart.

 _Only if Jon was still around._ To even think of his name was weird after all these years. Sansa knew how close her sister was to their half-brother and deep down she always envied their brotherly relationship a little. But he had gone away and probably was in a freaking war by now. She didn’t know exactly because he only kept in touch with Robb, which upset Arya even more.

She let herself sank in her bed not caring if the action would ruin her hair and clothes, she just needed some time of silence and darkness. Her head was aching and her eyes burning again

_Hell, not today._

She was familiar with the feeling of tears forming in the back of her eyes, but held them with all her mighty. Otherwise they would ruin her make-up, and today she needed to be perfect.

* * *

 

The limo was big enough for the five of them. Sansa looked to her brother’s and sister’s faces as the driver closed the door right after their mother entered and sat comfortable by her side sighing in relief to see everybody well dressed and finally quiet, by everybody she included Arya too who after a huge fight finally gave in and wore the dress Sansa had picked up for her and let Catelyn put on some make-up in her bare angry face. An expression she was keeping until now as staring at Sansa with rage radiating from her body which made the red-haired girl shivers.

“Can you behave as a lady at least tonight, Arya?” Catelyn’s voice sounded tired just like her face. Lately Sansa noticed her mother was worrying over too many things of Baratheon&Lannister’s corp along with Robb who seemed to always be busy and rushing from his house to the company. They wouldn’t talk but she knew something weird was happening in the Red Keep, besides Robert Baratheon’s coma and her father’s death, of course.

Her mother was so distracted with business stuff that she hadn’t had much time to dedicate for her family otherwise Arya sneaking out during the night and Sansa’s anxiety attacks would be noticed by her, for sure. Catelyn had the eyes of a hawk and a good perception for any kind of trouble when involving her family. Yet there they were doing everything Catelyn would disapprove under her nose and getting rid of scolding.

Arya just rolled her eyes and crossed her legs turning to face the window. Catelyn seemed satisfy with her daughter and let herself close her eyes for a second, long enough for Bran and Rickon start to play around pushing each other.

Sansa had never seen her mother’s look so pierce before. One look was enough to shut up the boys.

It was quite amusing to be honest. By Sansa’s eyes they were starting to behave as a family again, even with Robb leaving in a flat next to the company and Jon away for the army. Sansa doubted her mother was missing Jon anyway.

The rest of the way was filled with some chatting between the boys and Sansa. They made some childish jokes and entertained her for the short drive and pretty soon they reached the Plaza Hotel the party was being held. The limo barely stopped and a security guard already opened the door. Catelyn hold her breath and strengthened her body like the truly lady she was. After all she was a Tully and a Stark, two wealthy families for generations, and proud of it. Bran and Rickon followed their mother looking as good as a boy of their age might look leaving Arya and Sansa behind. The difference between the girls were beyond the looks, as Sansa left the car all gracious and perfect Arya was grumpy and stumbling one foot at time making her heels knock hardly on the floor.

Catelyn lead her children inside the hotel drawing the attention of some important business people around, some of them greeted the family others just looked curious and all the way Sansa felt like she had to be more careful than ever.

_Perfect, perfect, perfect…_

Robb was waiting inside the salon standing tall and handsome. He gave everybody a tight hug and walked along with Arya and the boys chatting happily. Sansa smiled at the scene feeling the same as before, her family together again was something she’s been wishing for a long time.

As soon as they got in their table, the big one reserved only to the really important families, her eyes wandered for Joffrey. While looking for him she recognized some familiar’s faces and saw Margaery seated beautifully at the Tyrell’s table between her brother and grandmother. Sansa noticed another beautiful man chatting happily with Loras and recognized him as being Renly, one of Joffrey’s uncles.

Sansa looked away. Margaery however seemed to notice her and moved preciously heading to where Sansa was with the same smile she used to hold all the time.

_Damn it._

“There you are.” The girl said, smiling perfectly to Sansa. “I’ve tried to reach you all day long.”

“Sorry. I was busy.” In her voice not a hint of what she was thinking.

“Ah, no problem. At least we can talk right now.”

Sansa did her best to smile as her friend greeted the rest of her family and took a seat by her side. Margaery, then, casted down her gaze to check out Sansa’s dress. “You look beautiful Sansa.”

Sansa smiled, a truly smile this time, an effect produced only by a compliment. “Thanks. You too look beautiful.” and she did but just like Sansa it was no surprise that Margaery would look great tonight, the brunette girl was wearing a tight dress in a beautiful deep blue color with a large v-neck, expositing lots of skin. Something Margaery was used to wear and proud to show, and although Catelyn would repeat to Sansa how inappropriate her friend looked in a dress like this Sansa didn’t see the problem.

She also noticed that Margaery had gained some weight too. Nothing to worry but impressive once Margaery was obsessed with her weight and all…

“How are your parents doing?” By the other side of the table Catelyn asked to Margaery. When it comes about family’s name even the short clothes wouldn’t bother the lady Stark.

Margaery answered like a lady to be. “Very well, they are enjoying Highgarden very much.”

“I’m glad to hear that.” and Catelyn seemed to approve once more the friendship of the two girls.

For a moment the girls seemed to get along well and Sansa felt really guilt. She was mad with Margaery, her best friend, for no reason apparently and decided to forget whatever nonsense she was worrying her mind with before, but then Margaery asked about Joffrey.

“I was going to ask you the same thing. Lately it seems you two are spending lots of time together.”

She meant to sound casual but the statement sounded like an accusation of something she wasn’t sure yet. Sansa was waiting for her friend to deny, be ashamed, embarrassed or outraged but none of the alternatives happened. For the first time ever Margaery’ smile faded away slowly as she stared at Sansa with a nonchalant expression which surprised Sansa.

The cold look however disappeared as soon as Joffrey appeared behind Sansa and the fake pretty smile was there again.

“There he is!   _Your_ boyfriend.”

The unnecessary emphasis on the pronoun was noticed by Sansa who decided to ignore it since everyone from her family was around them. Joffrey put a hand over her shoulder and she turned around to meet him. He was carrying one of his wicked smiles and looking over her head and she knew he was staring Margaery.

“Here you are, love” He kissed her in the lips but kept his eyes away. “I need you to be at my table today.”

Sansa didn’t have the time to even think about what to say as Joffrey grabbed her hand and pulled her out of her chair leaving Margeary by herself. She could hear her brothers’ and Arya’s displeased groan when they saw she was leaving with Joffrey which was plausible since he didn’t trouble himself in complimenting her family.

“My mom… You should’ve at least said hi to her Joff.” She said in a small voice while following him.

“I’m too excited to waste my time doing something like that.” He shrugged. Sansa knew that Joffrey could be a little too insensitive towards others feeling and she grew up dealing with his way of being. She blamed it on his highborn position; after all he was the heir of Baratheon&Lannister’s corp. “She will love what is going to happen tonight anyway.”

“What is going to happen?” She asked curious.

“You’ll see.” and for the first time of the night he looked to her and Sansa was waiting for a compliment. The type of compliment that a boyfriend would do when his girlfriend kept the whole freaking afternoon getting ready to be pretty for him, but all that she received was a smile.

The same wicked smile as before.

And she knew she wasn’t going to like whenever Joffrey was planning to do.

* * *

 

She felt trapped. By one side there was Cersei Lannister Baratheon who was dazzling in a red long dress. By the other side was Joffrey discussing something with his uncle Tyrion Lannister who didn’t seem happy about the thing his nephew was saying. It was like being in a cage with lions.

She surpassed a sigh. Probably everybody was watching them right now and she needed more than ever to be conscious of her behavior.

Sansa glanced Cersei again trying to copy every single movement the older woman was making but she looked too graceful. Sansa felt like she wasn’t good enough for something like this. Maybe that was how Arya felt whenever someone made a comparison between the sisters.

This time she sighed heavily. She could feel Cersei’s piercing eyes on her now.

“I know it can be tiresome to be a woman of our position sometimes, with all eyes on you.” Sansa immediately composed herself and opened a committed smile paying attention to the older woman’s words like she was giving a lecture. “Yes it’s a big decision, of course it is but I think you are prepared, little dove.”

Sansa couldn’t help but frown obviously confused by the words. She parted her lips to question what Cersei was talking about, but the blond woman kept talking completely ignoring Sansa’s confused face.

“You will say the right thing at the right time. You will accept.”

She knew the polite reaction would be just to agree to whatever Cersei was referring to but the word ‘accept’ brought immediately the thought of a proposal.

“What?” Her voice came out squeakier than she planned to. She must have understood it wrong.

Cersei had a weird smile in her lips, something that was meant to look nice but the feeling didn’t reach her eyes. Instead of joy Sansa could swear she saw a glimpse of pity on Cersei’s eyes, a feeling she never thought she would see in a Lannister.

The blonde woman just kept smiling while her hand reached for her glass of wine. Sansa automatically did the same, but instead of taking just a sip she swallowed the liquid like her life depended on it. If she was going to be proposed tonight it would be better if she was drunk.

She didn’t have the time to get another glass of any alcoholic drink as Joffrey took her hand and squeezed it trying to get her attention. “I have a surprise for you.”

The feeling of being trapped got bigger as Joffrey stood up and called everybody’s attention saying he had an announcement to do. It was like she wasn’t Sansa anymore. She heard Joffrey’s voice from a far saying something about love that he probably memorized from an internet blog. She saw him picking up a small golden box from his pocket and look at her. He said something about how their fathers would be proud of them for being together for so many years. He even got on one knee while putting the small box in front of his head handing it over open to her and saying “Will you marry me?” but all she could do was stand still on her seat with her face pale and her mouth open in horror. Not shock.

It was the first thought that crossed her mind. She obviously didn’t want to marry him. She did want to marry him once when she used to think he was the best boy she had ever seen with all the qualities a proper husband must have and a good family name. But now with him kneeling in front of her offering a beautiful ring with a big diamond on it all she could think about was the bad thing he had done to her and to the one’s she cares about.

_He is not nice._

She lost track of how much time she remained in silence but it must have been a lot since a murmur started somewhere in the salon. Somehow she got out from her daydream and answered something.

She felt like she was in a movie. Like the words that came out of her mouth were rehearsed and didn’t belong to her but to a character. And it must have been a yes because Joffrey smiled in a cocky way like he knew she was going to accept. Like he knew she was his forever.

And people applauded. He got her hand and put the ring on her finger standing up and pushing her with him. For the first time since she could remember she was grateful for holding his hand because her legs were shaking and she wasn’t sure she could stand still without some help.

Her eyes wandered for the salon looking to others people reaction to the proposal. She saw fake smiles everywhere including on Margaery’s face. Her friend didn’t stand up but she was applauding like everybody else. Sansa looked to her family table and could see her brothers trying to disguise their shock expression while clapping. Her mother had an unreadable look on her face but she was standing up elegantly which gave Sansa more strength to bear her decision and for a moment she thought she did well. But then she looked for her sister and Arya was nowhere to be seen. And then the feeling that she had just done something terrible rose inside her.

Arya knew better.

* * *

 

Joffrey was nowhere to be seen. Sansa didn’t notice when he disappeared of her side but she couldn’t care less to be honest and all she wanted right now was some air. After the proposal she tried to go to her family but people surrounded her congratulating on her engagement and she felt trapped once again. Sansa stretched her neck trying to see above the heads looking for her mother and she could see that Cersei got there first and now the blonde woman was talking to Catelyn. If she didn’t know better she would actually think that her mother was enjoying the talk. Maybe later would be a better time to reach her family. Now she just needed to scape.

Somehow Sansa managed to avoid everybody else and found a breach in the crowd. In a few steps she found herself out of the salon in a big open air garden. Almost nobody was outside and she felt thankful for that. She needed some time by her own to organize her thoughts and intake the happenings from before.

Wandering around the garden felt like a good thing to do and without a second thought her feet dragged her between some trees at the end of the garden.

 _I can’t believe I am going to marry_. She repeated this sentence while looking to the ring on her finger.  Some years ago if anyone asked her what her dreams for future were she would answer without blinking: Marriage.

To Joffrey? Maybe yes. No, Sansa from years ago would have answered definitely yes. She dreamt about the day she would be married to him and she should be happy that her dreams were becoming true. Her eyes lingered on her wrist. In a close look anyone could see that it was still swallowed from their quarrel. Lately their fights had become more violent and frightening; actually he had grown more violent and frightening and their fights more frequently.

“What the fuck Joffrey?” She stopped from walking realizing she wasn’t alone anymore.

“What?” Joffrey’s voice was recognizable. She couldn’t see his face but Sansa knew that sarcastic tone of his voice from miles away. “You said I had to do something.”

“Not asking her to marry you!” The woman’s voice was high pitched like she was trying to contain her anger and Sansa was having a hard time to recognize who that voice belonged to.

“You thought I would ask who in marriage?” His voice was low and cruel now and Sansa approached from where he and the girl were. Standing behind a tree and wishing she had some x-ray eyes to see the scene through the tree trunk. “You?”

“Of course it would be me! What does she have that I lack? Money? The Starks are not what they used to be and you know very well that the Tyrells have more money than any family from this country. Including the Lannisters.”

She froze. Now everything was making sense. The club, the drugs, the jolts, and the cold eyes towards her from someone she considered her best friends for years. Sansa stopped paying attention to what they were saying, nothing else mattered anymore and all she wanted to do now was to disappear.

And maybe she should.

“What you are doing here?” Joffrey’s voice sounded higher pitched then Margaery was before and the startled look on his face was priceless. For one moment Sansa considered taking a picture of it to make a target for Arya throw some arrows.

She was so absorbed in her own mind that she hadn’t realized the argument between him and Margaery was over. Joffrey had walked to her direction and found her behind the tree. Sansa straightened her posture and cleaned her throat. Her eyes evaluated Joffrey from head to toe and she smiled. She could see that his face had a relived look and he was probably thinking he got her good. 

 Keeping the smile from before she said at once.

“It’s over, Joffrey.”

* * *

 

Fuck them.

It was all she could think about. After seeing the argument between them and ignoring the Joffrey’s attempts to reach her and say his excuses, she run out of the hotel and entered the limo that was supposed to drive her and Joffrey back to his house. Instead she asked to the driver to go as fast as he could and as far as he wanted. He didn’t argue and just drove while she pierced her eyes out of the window without really looking at outside. Emptiness was all that she could feel, but not a bad kind of emptiness, it was almost like a huge weigh was off her shoulders and she could breathe and move better. The view outside of the window was changing gradually. The huge houses and building were being replaced by narrow streets and crooked houses one near to the other fighting for more space. She immediately recognize the place as being the city centre and it didn’t take that long to see the commercial zone, the pubs and the clubs crowded of people. It was nice to see unfamiliar faces having fun and talking with friends, some of them looked curious to the limo other ignored it imaging it was just another marriage going on. Regardless that, she felt easier and allowed herself to relax a little.

The car was slowing down as it entered a narrow and long street, and this time the street was full of young people and teenagers. The bars, pubs and clubs were interspersing with stripe clubs and cheap hotels and people were walking on the street along with the cars with no fear of getting hit.

Flea Bottom.

She knew the place but has never set a foot there. It was a neighborhood known for its nightlife and temptations. Prostitution, alcohol and drugs were something easy to find there and were what gave the place its reputation. Some people love it, others hate it. Sansa, otherwise, had never been there before. Her mother always told her that it was a doomed place and she wouldn’t fit anyway. People like her and the others families from the upper class of Westeros didn’t go to that part of the city.

The limo suddenly stopped. The driver opened the window to be able to talk to Sansa.

“Ms. Stark I have orders to take you back to the hotel right away.” He said while holding a cellphone in his hand.

Sansa frowned.

“Well…I am giving you the order to not to.”

“I’m sorry Ms. Stark, but I’m taking you back.”

He turned around to talk to the phone and Sansa didn’t need to know who the person in the other side of the line was to know that her order would be ignored. She, then, opened the door and in an impulsive act got out of the car. Behind her she could hear the driver screaming for her name among the buzzes from the horns of angry drivers, but she didn’t look back. She was furious like she has never been before and the relief she felt earlier after running away from the craziness that her life became after her father’s death suddenly disappeared. Sansa didn’t want to come back, not now at least She needed to think her next steps and to calm down urgently because the urge to punch something was increasing inside her and her thoughts were so fast that she was having trouble in organizing them. Suddenly she realized how her sister must feel most of the time; raising her eyes to look at the people around she felt like an outsider just like her mom said she would feel.

_That is why she runs away every night to do God knows what._

Her fancy dress and high heels weren’t exactly the dress code of the people who goes to this neighborhood and she now felt eyes over her body probably judging her way of dressing. Some stupid and drunk boys were trying to holla at her but she did her best to ignore them, her steps were firm like she knew where she was going and as a matter of fact she reminded a place where she could find someone familiar around here.

In a couple of minutes she disappeared in the crowd of young people.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I am late and YES I AM SO SORRY.  
> My life changed SO much in these months that I didn’t have the time to even think about any kind of writing or fanfic whatsoever. I’m sticking with my original plan to write one chapter for each character, I’m trying to connect all the happenings from each chapter to reach an reasonable end but I’ve never done this before so I dunno if it’s going to work. Hopefully it WILL work hehehe  
> I also want to thank all my readers! I loved every review, comment and kudos. You guys are just awesome. Also, I want to clarify something for y’all. I love Margaery, I really do. She is great in the books and Natalie Dormer, the actress who portrays Margaery in TV, is totally my girl crush. HOWEVER I needed to make her one of the bad girls in this story. I still love her anyway; I love bad girls (and boys).  
> My sincerely apologies for the huge delay, again.  
> Next chapter, Arya.

**Author's Note:**

> This is the beginning. Hope you liked it. Comments and critics are welcomed.
> 
> This is my first fic in English and I'm not a native speaker, so I apologize beforehand if I made some mistake. I know I need a beta but I dunno anybody with free time to revise my fic :((


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